Oklahoma City Barons notebook: Barons penalty kill on a roll

The Barons have allowed only one power play goal the past 15 games. Oklahoma City has killed 38 of its last 39 penalties, a sizzling 97.4 penalty kill percentage since Mar. 19.

Janathan Cheechoo with the Oklahoma City Barons goes for the puck beside Akim Aliu of the Abbotsford Heat during an AHL hockey game at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Friday, April 19, 2013. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

“Our goaltender (Yann Danis) is our best penalty killer,” said Barons coach Todd Nelson. “When he's playing well it certainly helps. But our guys have been doing a better job, paying the price, getting down on the ice, getting in shooting lanes.

“That's going well right now, and that has to continue. If we get into the playoffs special teams are huge.”

EMOTIONAL PRE-GAME CEREMONY

Friday was Barons' Military and First Responder Appreciation Night.

An estimated 40 military personnel, dressed in fatigues, held edges of a gigantic American flag that covered nearly two-thirds of the ice during the national anthem and a dedication to Oklahoma City police officer Chad Peery, who died in an automobile accident earlier this week.

“That was very moving,” Nelson said. “It was pretty emotional.”

Even though most of the Barons players are from Canada or Europe, Nelson took the team to the Oklahoma City National Memorial last month.

“The guys remember that day we went to the Memorial,” Nelson said. “It was team building away from the rink. But after the guys went through there they realized the pain and suffering people went through in Oklahoma City.”